Assessment of the psycho-emotional state of dementia patient`s family members as the basis of their medical and psychological support

Abstract

Dementia is one of the most relevant problems in modern medicine, as the number of patients suffering from various forms of this disease is increasing every year. Currently, dementia affects about 47 million people on the planet, according to forecasts by 2030 this figure will double. The global economic damage from dementia is more than $ 600 billion annually and this figure is growing every year. According to the results of the study, a serious illness of a loved one is a severe stress for relatives of patients with dementia. In 72.3% of examined women and 59.8% of men was found a disturbance of the psycho-emotional sphere. They complained of low mood (76.9% of women and 55.3% of men), depression (72.3% and 65.8% respectively), feelings of anxiety, constant internal tension (81.2% of women and 65.9% of men), sleep-wake cycle disorders (55.8% and 53.9% respectively), general weakness, lethargy and rapid fatiguability (36.8% of women and 31.1% of men), confusion (72,3% and 65.7% respectively). The following variants of emotional disorders were identified in the subjects: anxious, depressive, astheno-apathetic and dysphoric, based on data obtained during the study. Dementia patient’s relatives are characterized by emotional disorders, mainly from anxious-depressive register, the emergence of maladaptive behavior during care of an ill family member, psychosocial maladaptation, disruption of interpersonal relationships and deformation of family interaction. Obtained results indicate the need to develop medical and psychological support for dementia patient’s relatives.

Keywords: cognitive disorders, family members, maladaptive behavior, emotional disorders.